The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is a left-of-center environmental activism organization that opposes the construction of new dams and reservoirs in California and conducts several conservation and educational programs about rivers in the state, with an emphasis on the Yuba River and its entire watershed. The group has employed left-of-center and far-left language around climate change, and adopted a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The group has received federal grant funding from multiple agencies and is also funded by a variety of left-of-center grantmaking foundations including the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, the National Environmental Education Foundation, and the National Forest Foundation. Government funding accounts for 83 percent of the organization’s revenue. ^{1 2 3}

Background

The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) was formed in 1983 as a group of activists focused on opposing the construction of dams in the South Yuba River. The group sometimes goes by the acronym “SYRCL,” pronounced “circle.” Early efforts of the group secured some restrictions being placed on dam and infrastructure building along 39 miles of the South Yuba River under California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. ⁴

The group has grown significantly since it was founded and has grown substantially since 2020, mostly with the assistance of government grants. The group reported $4 million in revenue in 2022 compared to over $11 million in 2023. ⁵

SYRCL employs 28 staff members in areas including fundraising, managing the group’s film festival, watershed science, and advocacy. The group reported $1.3 million in 2023 salary expenses. ³

Activities

The South Yuba River Citizens League reports having 35,000 members and 1,300 active volunteers and its efforts have remained ostensibly focused on the South Yuba River watershed while also promoting a variety of left-of-center environmental stances and policies. The group has initiated efforts aimed at restoring wild salmon, hosts trainings and fellowship programs, and runs an annual film festival. ⁴

SYRCL’s annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival has been described as the largest environmental-activism-focused film festival in the United States and is described by the group as “encouraging festival-goers to learn more about what they can do to save our threatened planet.” ⁶

The group opposes the construction of new dams like the Centennial Dam and supports restrictions on hydropower. The group also opposed the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine and, through grant programs, has directly funded restoration projects and contracts with landscaping and environmental engineering firms. ¹

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The South Yuba River Citizens League has explicitly incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology in its work. Its 2023 annual report stated that “we envision justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) as core values and key principles influencing SYRCL’s entire operation and community going forward. SYRCL recognizes the inherent link between racial and environmental justice and strives to work toward both. We commit to learn and grow in our understanding of the systemic nature of white supremacy culture so that we may advocate for systemic changes to discover, honor, and incorporate the diverse perspectives and knowledge of all people, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and differently-abled communities within the Yuba watershed.” ¹

Government Funding

The South Yuba River Citizens League reports receiving grants or support from the California Department of Conservation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources, Nevada County, Placer County, Sierra Meadows Partnership, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Wildlife Conservation Board, and the Yuba Water Agency. ¹

In 2023, the group received a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “to protect, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats in the Central Valley and Trinity River basins of California.” ⁷

Other Funding

Other listed funders of the South Yuba River Citizens League include the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, the Bella Vista Foundation, the California State Parks Foundation, the California Hydropower Reform Coalition, the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, the Latrobe Fund, the Marin Community Foundation, the Martis Fund, the National Environmental Education Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, the Resources Legacy Fund, and the Teichert Foundation. ¹

1. “2023 Impact Report.” South Yuba River Citizens League. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://yubariver.org/posts/syrcl-annual-impact-reports/
2. “About.” South Yuba River Citizens League. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://yubariver.org/about/
3. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. South Yuba River Citizens League. 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/680171371/202440699349300104/full
4. “South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL – pronounced circle).” Center for Nonprofit Leadership. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cnlsierra.org/membership/the-south-yuba-river-citizens-league-syrcl-pronounced-circle/
5.  “South Yuba River Citizens League.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/680171371
6. “About the Festival.” Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/about-the-festival/
7.  “FAIN F19AP00413.” USA Spending. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_F19AP00413_1448